Transitory electroresponsive switching control



J. A. FAVRE Dec. 12, 1950 TRANSITORY ELECTRORESPONSIVE SWITCHING CONTROL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 30, 1948 if i Q Inventor: Jo hn A. Favre,

His Attorney.

J. A. FAVRE Dec. 12, 1950 musrroav ELECTRORESPONSIVE swrrcnmc comer. 1

2 Shuts-Sheet 2 Fild DOG. 30, 1948 w T w ow m z m? o L t e M vn s lm m U'L l //5 E f w u Patented Dec. 12, 1950 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE" TRANSITORY' ELECTBORE SPONSIVE SWITCHING CONTROL John A. Fayre, Drexel Hill, Pa., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York A Application December 30, 1948, Serial No. 68,363

13 Claims. (Cl. 175-335) master switch (or automatic) relay control of the energization of an electroresponsive device is desired but the device inherently must be deenergized immediately upon response thereof to avoid the danger of overheating or for other reasons.

One of the objects is to provide an improved pumpfree form of transitory electroresponsive relay switching control for an electroresponsive device that will insure completion of but one transitory energization of the electroresponsive device for each time the relay master control switch is operated. This effectively prevents the pumping" of the closing solenoid of an automatic circuit breaker usually encountered with the ordinary forms of control, l. e., the repeated reclosures of the breaker in case the circuit conditions are such as to automatically trip out the breaker immediately upon each reclosure thereof.

Another object is to provide an improved automatic transitory switching control that is pumpfree irrespective of whether the master control switch is only momentarily closed or is held in the closed position indefinitely.

Another object is to provide an improved form of transitory electroresponsive switching control relay having a disjointable toggle operated control switch and mechanism whereby the toggle links become disjoined to open the switch upon each energizatlon of an electroresponsive device under the control of the relay and become rejoined for a succeeding control operation only when both the relay and the controlled electroresponsive device are concurrently deenergized.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description of the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front view of a circuit breaker closing solenoid provided with a transitory relay switching control embodying the-improvements of the present invention in the preferred form; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the improved form of transltory electroresponsive switching control relay with one wall of the molded enclosing casing broken away to reveal the operating parts; Fig. 3 is a front view of the transitory switching control relay with the cover for the enclosing casing removed; Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing .the circuit connections of both the closing solenoid and the transitory switching control relay together with a schematic showing of the disjointable operating connections for effecting transitory switching under transitional control of both the solenoid and the relay; Fig. 5 is a similar schematic diagram showing the relation of the circuit connections and the transitory switch operating parts during the transitory energization of the closing solenoid; and Fig. 6 shows the relative positions of the disjointable operating parts after the transitory energization of the solenoid and before the control relay is deenergized.

As shown in Fig. 1, the circuit breaker closing solenoid indicated generally by the reference character I0 is of the usual form having a magnetic frame H, a magnetizing winding I 2, and a movable magnetic member in the form of a plunger or core i3 provided with a suitable operating linkage H for connection with the circuit breaker reclosing mechanism. Due to the quick and powerful operating stroke of the plunger II and corresponding large energizing current requirements' of the winding [2, such a solenoid is representative of an electroresponsive device that should be deenergized immediately upon re sponse thereof to avoid overheating and for other reasons.

The improved transitory switching control relay indicated generally by the reference character I6 is shown in Fig. 1 mounted directly on the frame of the closing solenoid In by means of the supporting member I! having a holding screw l8 and a similar supporting member I! having the holding screws 20. The relay I8 is provided with an enclosing casing 23 of molded insulating material within which the relay operating and electrical parts are mounted as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The casing 23 is provided with a removable cover 24 which in turn is provided with a removable insulating panel 25 for ready access to the various circuit terminals of the relay that are mounted on the cover beneath the removable panel 25 and interconnected by flexible leads with the relay electrical parts inside the enclosing casing 23. The various terminals and leads have been omitted from Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing for the sake of clarity since the electrical interconnection of the various parts is shown schematically in the circuit diagrams of Figs. 4, 5, and 6.

The transitory switching control relay II has mounted on the back wall of the enclosing casing 22 a pair of spaced-apart main switch stationary contacts 21 that are bridged by the movable contact 2. to close the energizing circuit of the operating win l2 of the circuit breaker closing solenoid It. Each stationary contact 21 is provided with a suitable terminal 29 for connection with a corresponding terminal on the cover 24 under the panel 2! in order to facilitate connection into the energizing circuit for the solenoid winding l2.

The main switch bridging contact 28 of the transitory switching relay I is carried by the movable switch element 30 having a pivotal mounting on the bearing pin 3| that is seated in suitable recesses formed in the mounted enclosing casing 22 and held in place bythe locking plate 22 and the holding screw 83. The bridging contact 2| is notched at one end to rockin the V-shaped notch 25 formed in the switch member 2| and is provided with an opening SI for receiving the hump 21 therein to maintain a sub-' stantial alignment. 'A pair of springs 28 are carriedby a molded insulator I! that is secured to the pivotally mounted switch member by the bolt ll so as to provide a yielding wiping bias for the bridging contact 28.

The molded insulator I! on movable switch member 20 also carries an auxiliary switch bridgin: contact pin 42 into wiping engagement with I a pair of spaced-apart resilient stationary auxiliary switch contacts 42 that are secured to a v molded insulator H by the terminal screws 45 with the insulator ll adiustably mounted inside the enclosing casing 22 by means of the holding screw 42 that slides in a suitable slot 41. The pivotally mounted switch member 20 that carries the main switch bridging contact 28 and the auxiliary switch bridging contact 42 is biased to the open position in which the insulator 29 engages a boss ll on cover 24 as shown in Fig. 2 by means of the biasing spring ll having one end seated .upon a boss 4! formed on the inside of the enclosing casing 22 and the other on a boss 50 formed on the movable switch member 30.

In. accordance with the present invention, the

movable switch member III is operated to the closed position against its bias bymeans of a disiointable mechanism such as the toggle formed by a pair of interlocking links 52 and 53. The

toggle link '2 is pivotally mounted upon a ilxed pivot pin it extending from an angle element II that is secured by means of the holding screws 58 v to a molded rib 51' extending along the side wall of the casing 22. The angleelement II also has a stop ll extending laterally therefrom into the .path of the movable switch member 30 so as to limit the movement of this switch member by spring ll when the cover 24 is removed.

The toggle link 52 is double with the two halves thereof spaced apart and pivotally connected at one mate the switching member 30 by means of the pivot pin It. A roller II is mounted between the other ends of the two halves of the pivot link II. on the pin I. The fixedly pivoted toggle link I2 slides between the two spaced-apart halves of link I! and is provided with a notch 62 of v semi-cylindrical or quadrantal form for nesting interlocking engagement with the roller 80 so as bias of spring 48 when the toggle is extended by moving the roller It upwardly from the position in which it is shown in' Figs. 3 and 2. A biasing or quadrantal notch 82 in interlocking operative engagement with the roller 80 while permitting disioining of the toggle links in their extended position by an upward force applied to the separately pivoted link 52. In this way, the switch operating toggle formed by the links 52 and lil is provided with a disjointable knee that is biased to rejoin the links into operative relation only when the links are in their relative biased positions in which they are shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Thus such a toggle provides disjointable operating connections for closing the switch contacts of the relay is and for permitting these contacts to open in accordance with their bias when the'opcrating connections are disloined.

In order to operate the toggle formedby the disjointable links 52, II, the relay It is provided with an operating electromagnet 68 having a plunger or core 69 operating the push rod Ill having an adjustable he'ad II for engaging an operating lever I2 that is centrally pivoted on the pin 13 extending from the back of the enclosing casing 23 so as to raise the end ll of the lever I2 into engagement with the roller 80 and thereby exert an upward force thereon to extend the toggle. A biasing spring 18 is connected with the operating lever 12 so as normally to bias the end 14 thereof into engagement with the step l1 and raise the relay plunger so to the unattracted position in which it is shown in Fig. 3. The spring It has one end hooked into a suitable opening formed in the opposite end of the lever 12 and the other end hooked over an anchor pin 18 formed in the molded enclosing casing 22.

The frame 88 of the relay operating electromagnet is mounted inside casing 23 by means of .suitable holding screws extending through the back wall thereof and a pair of series-connected ing springs 82 and a magnetic washer I3 is interposed between the main operating winding 80 and the current limiting winding 8| so as toprovide a magnetic barrier therebetween. This enables the main winding to be more eil'ectively energized to attract the plunger 69 when the current limiting winding II is short-circuited as described hereinafter in connection with the schematic circuit diagrams of Figs. 4. 5, and 8 since the magnetic washer 82 serves tolocalize the flux generated by the main winding 80 to the lower part of the magnetic frame 88 and thereby mini mize the currents induced in the short-circuitedl winding ll while the main winding to is energized. Suitable terminals for each of the windings Ill and II are connected to corresponding terminal screws carried in the cover 24 under the removable panel 25 in the manner previously indicated so as to enable ready circuit connections to be made thereto in the manner indicated in the schematic circuit diagrams of Figs. 4, 5, and 6.

In order to disjoin the disjointable toggle link 52, the relay it is provided with a plunger that slides in a bushing 86 provided with a projecting ridge 8'! for mounting in a slot 88 formed in the molded enclosing casing 23 so as to be held in its operative position by a boss ll extending inwardly from the cover 24 as shown in Fig. 2. In this way the plunger II is mounted in alignmentwith the disjointable link l2 so that when the toggle is in 6 its extended position and plunger 05 is moved upwardly into engagement with link 52, the quadrantal notch 62 will become disengaged from roller 60 thereby disioining the knee of the toggle to permit the switch member 30 to open in accordance with its bias. The plunger 85 is normally biased to. the position in which it is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 out of engagement with the link 52 by means of the biasin spring 9| that extends between the bushing 06 and a collar 92 suitably secured to the lower end of the plunger 85.

As shown in Fig. 1, the plunger 85 is operated upon response of the closing solenoid I by means of a centrally pivoted lever 94 having its pivotal mounting pin 85 supported in the arm -90 extending from the frame I I of the reclosing solenoid I0. One end of the lever 84 is provided with an angularly extending portion 96 for engagement with the pin and the other end of lever 94 is proment of lever 94 by the biasin spring 9| of the plunger 85.

In order to insure full initial energization of the main operating winding 80 of the relay, a second auxiliary switch I 03 of the enclosed type having normally closed contacts is connected to normally short circuit the winding 8i. Switch I 03 is mounted on a bracket I04 suitably secured to the bottom of the enclosing casing 23 and is arranged to be operated so as to open its normally closed contacts while the relay armature 69 is being attracted. This is accomplished by means of a resilient operating arm I05 engaging with the switch operating button I06 when flexed downwardly by the adjustable finger-I01 carried by the relay switch operating lever 12. When the button I06 is thus depressed, the normally closed contacts oi the second auxiliary switch I03 are opened. The terminals I09 and H0 of the second normally closed auxiliary switch I03 are connected by suitable flexible leads so as to normally short-circuit the relaywindingSI as indicated in the schematic circuit diagrams of Figs. 4, 5, and 6. Thus when the operating button I06 is depressed during the attractive movement of armature 69, the short circuit is removed from the current limiting winding 8i so that this winding becomes connected in series with main winding 80 to reduce the relay energizing current when the plunger 69 is in its attracted position.

Operation As shown in the schematic circuit diagram of Fig. 4, the circuit breaker reclosing solenoid I0 and the transitory switching control relay I6 are connected to be separately energized from the supply lines LI, L2. Thu the relay movable switch contact 28 is operable into engagement with the stationary contact 21 to close the energizing circuit for the solenoid energizing winding i2 and the manually operable normally open master control switch I I2 is operable to close the energizing circuit for the relay I6. Upon closure of the master switch II2, only the relay main operating winding 00 is initially energized with the energizing circuit therefor extending from supply line LI through conductor II3,' master switch H2 in its closed position, conductor H4 and thence through the short circuit around the 6 current limiting winding 8| provided by conductor '5, the normally closedsecond auxiliary switchl", conductors H6 and III, and thence through only the main relay operating winding 80 and conductor I Is to supply line L2. With the current limiting winding 8| thus short-circuited. the relay main operating winding 00 is initially energized with full current to attract the relay plunger 69 so as to press the operating rod 10 against the switch operating lever I2 and thereby exert an upward force on the roller 60 (through the extra push rod I20 as schematically shown in Fig. 4) to extend the toggle formed by the links 52 and 53 against the bias or spring 48 and move the bridging contact 28 into engagement with the stationary relay contact 21, thereby closing the energizing circuit for the operating winding l 2 of the reclosing solenoid I0. During the extension of the toggle the bridging pin 42 of the first auxiliary switch engages with the stationary spring iliary switch contacts 42, 43 to conductor I2I.

The closure of this seal-in circuit provides continued energization of the relay operating winding 60 even though the master switch H2 is released and returns to it normally open position in which it is shown, thereby insuring full completion of the relay transitory energization cycle when once started by closure of the master switch II2.

After the engagement of the seal-in contacts 42, 43 of the first auxiliary switch during the attraction of plunger 69, operating lever 12 becomes tilted sufiiciently to engage the finger I01 with the operating button I06 of the second normally closed auxiliary switch I03 so as to operate the contacts thereof to the open position as shown in Fig. 5. This opens the initial short-circuit for the current limiting winding 8i through the conductors I I5, the second auxiliary switch I 03, the conductor H6 but leaves the seal-in circuit around the current limiting relay winding 8| and the master switch I I2 through conductor I2I and the contacts 42, 43 of the first auxiliary switch to insure completion of the closure of the main switch contacts 21 and 28 as shown in Fig. 5. Thereupon the energizing circuit of the reclosing solenoid operating winding I2 is closed and the plunger I3 is attracted to exert its powerful stroke for operating the circuit breaker reclosing mechanism. At the same time push rod 98 operates the centrally pivoted lever 94 to raise the plunger 85 into engagement with the disjointable toggle link 52 and thereby disjoin the knee of the toggle as shown in Fig. 6. Immediately biasing spring 40 becomes efiective to disengage the bridging contact 28 from the stationary contact 21 and there by open the energizing circuit of the solenoid operating winding I 2 immediately upon response of the solenoid as indicated in Fig. 6. As soon as winding I2 is thus deenergized, spring 9| will become effective to. return plunger I3 to its unattracted position in which it is shown in Fig. 4. However, the disjointable toggle link 52 will remain disjointed until relay I6 is concurrently deenergized.

As shown in Fig. 6, the master control switch I I2 may unnecessarily be maintained in its closed position after the solenoid operating winding I2 is deenergized. Such continued closure of master switch II2 will maintain an energizin circuit 6 closed for both the current limiting windin 8I and the series connected operating winding through conductors I i4, I 22, the series connected winding BI and 80 and conductor H8. However.

the relay energizing current as long as the master 1 switch H2 is thus unnecessarily maintained closed.

As long as the relay is is maintained energized atter the deenergization or the reclosing solenoid It, as indicated in Fig. 6. it is impossible (or the disjointable toggle link 52 to rejoin the disjointable knee of the toggle since-the roller ll is maintained out oi its normally biased position in which it is shown in Figs. 2. 3 and 4. Consequently, the disjointable link I! simply rides on the roller 60 between the two halves of the double link II until the relay It is deenergized. Thereupon the roller Oil is permitted to return to its initial biased position in which it i shown in Has. 2. 3 and 4 so that the quadrant notch t2 oi the disjointable link I2 can return into nesting operative engagement with the roller and thereby rejoin the disjointable knee of the toggle.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A transitory electroresponsive switching control having in combination, a pair of electroresponsive devices, a two-position switch controlling the response or one device, means biasing the switch to one position and operating mechanism for said, switch provided with disjointable mechanical operating connectionsunswitch biased open and connected for closing the energizatio'n circuit of one device, and disjointable mechanism for operatin the switch under transitional control of both devices having a movable operating element mechanically connected with the other device for. closing the switch to energize the one device upon energization oi. the other device and a separately movable operating element mechanically connected with the one device for releasing the switch to deenergize the one device upon response thereof during continued energization of the other device.

3. A transitory electroresponsive switching control having in combination a pair of separately energizable electroresponsive devices. a switch biased open and connected for closing the energizing circuit oi one device, a disiointable toggle for closing the switch, mechanism operated by the other device for extending the toggle to close the switch upon the response of the other device, and mechanism operated upon response 01' the one device for disjointing the to gle to open the switch.

4. A transitory electroresponsive switching control having in combination, a pair of separatelv energizable electroresponsive devices, a

normally open switch for closing the energization circuit or one device, means including disjointable operating members operable jointly for closing the switch upon response 01' the other device, means for seperately operating one of the disjointable members to open the switch upon response oi the one device. and means biasing said members to rejoin upon deenergization oi normally open switch for closing the energization circuit or one device, means including a pair oi disjointable links formin a toggle for closing the switch upon response of the other device, means for disioining the toggle linksto open the switch upon response of the one device. and means for biasing the toggle links into operative engagement to reform the toggle when both devices are deenerg'ized.

6. A transitory electromagnetic operator control having in combination, an electromagnetic operator, an electroresponsive relay having a normally open switch controlling the energizing circuit of the electromagnetic operator and dis- Jointable operating connections for closing the switch upon response 01' the relay and mechanism for disjointing said connections to open the switch to deenergize the electromagnetic operator upon operation thereof.

7. In a transitory switching control for an electroresponsive device, an electroresponsive control relay having a normally open switch for closing an energizing circuit for the device and an operating toggle for closing the switch upon response oi the relay, said toggle having a disjointable knee, and mechanism connected for opera- ,tion by the device to disjoint the toggle knee to bination, a pivotally mounted two-position switch member, means for biasing the switch member to one position, an operating toggle for moving the switch member to the other position upon extension 01 the toggle, said toggle having a disjointable link for releasing the switch member for movement by the biasing means, an electroresponsive device effective upon ,energization thereof for moving the outer toggle link to extend the toggle, an electroresponsive operator energized upon movement of the switch member to the other position and provided with means for disjointing the disjointable toggle link upon operation thereof, and biasing means for rejoining the toggle links upon deenergization oi the electroresponsive device.

9. A transitory electroresponsive switching control having in combination a iirst electroresponsive device, a switch for closing the energizing circuit of the first device, means biasing the switch open, a second electroresponsive device having disjointable operating connections and means for biasing said connections to rejoin when the second electroresponsive device is deenergized for closing the switch upon energization of the second device, and mechanism for disjointing said connections to permit the switch to open in accordance with its bias upon response of the first electroresponsive device.

10. In combination, an electromagnet having a movable magnetic member attracted thereby,

a switch for closing the energizing circuit of the eiectromagnet, means biasing the switchopen locking links forming a toggle having a disglointable knee, one link having a fixed pivot and the other link having a pivotal connection with the switch for closing the switch upon extension of the toggle, an electroresponsive device having a movable element biased to a predetermined position and operable into engagement with the knee of the toggle for extending the toggle to close the switch upon response of the electroresponsive device, mechanism operated upon attraction of the magnetic member for ,disjoining the toggle knee to permit the switch to move to the predetermined open position in accordance with its bias, and means biasing the toggle links to rejoin only upon both movement of the switch to its predetermined open position and movement of the movable element to its predetermined biased position.

12. A transitory electroresponsive switching control having in combination a first electroresponsive device, a first switch for closing the energizing circuit of the first device, means biasing the first switch open, a second electroresponsive device having disjointable operating connections for closing the first switch upon energiz'ation of the second device, mechanism for 3 disjointing theoperating connections to permit the first switch to open in accordance with its 10 bias upon energization of the first device, a second switch for closing the energizing circuit of the second device, means biasing the second switch open, and means biasing the operating connections to rejoin only upon opening of both the first and second switches.

13. In combination, an operating electromagnet, a main control switch for closing the energizing circuit of the electromagnet, a relay having disjointable operating connections for closing the main control switch and provided with a pair of juxtaposed series connected operating windings having a magnetic isolating member therebetween, a master control switch for energizing said windings, a normally closed auxiliary switch shunting one of the windings and having mechanism operated upon response of the relay for opening the auxiliary switch, a second auxiliary switch closed upon the closure of the main control switch for shunting both said one winding and said master switch, and mechanism operable upon energization of the electromagnet for disjoining said operating connections to open the main control switch and the second auxiliary switch.

I JOHN A. FAVRE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,534,115

- JOHN A. FAVRE It is hereby certified that error appears in the rinted specification of December 12, 1950 the above numbered patent requiring correction as f0 ows: Column 8, line 43, for the word outer read other;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read as. corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of May, A. D. 1951.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

